In some networks, servers are employed that have multiple network interface controllers (NICs). Some such servers employ a protocol which enables groups of such NICs to function together as a “team.” A team of NICs may have a single address (e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) address) which facilitates communication through the team of NICs. To other logic and drivers, the team of NICs appears to be, and is interacted with as, a single NIC.
Servers typically connect to other servers or network devices through one or more network switches. A switch typically comprises multiple ports. The concept of “teaming” (or port aggregation or port trunking) can be applied to switches as well as to servers to permit groups of ports to function together as a team. On industry standard example of this type of functionality is described in IEEE 802.3ad.
An aggregation protocol may be employed to permit aggregation-based servers and aggregation-based switches, or other aggregation-based network devices, to discover each other's teaming capability. An aggregation protocol permits multiple aggregation-based network devices to discover that the devices have two or more physical ports in common that can be “bound” together as a single virtual port. Unfortunately, connecting a network device into such a network that does not comply with the aggregation protocol of the other network devices, or does not implement an aggregation protocol at all, may result in erroneous network behavior.